Phobias

Question 1

What is the behavioural explanation for phobias?

Answer 1

The 2-process model

Question 2

What is the 2-process model?

Answer 2

1. The phobia is initiated through classical conditioning
2. Phobia is maintained through operant conditioning

Question 3

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 3

How a phobia is initiated - learning through association

Stimulus produces the same response as another stimulus if they have constantly been presented at the same time

Question 4

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 4

Learning through the consequences of one’s behaviour

Question 5

What does operant conditioning do to someone with a phobia?

Answer 5

It maintains the phobia as the person avoids it

Question 6

What are the 2 sections of operant conditioning?

Answer 6

Reinforcement (overall good)

Punishment (overall bad)

Question 7

What are the strengths of the 2-process model?

Answer 7

Doesn’t label people as mentally ill

King (1998) looked at case studies which supported the idea that phobias are initiated through classical conditioning

Question 8

Why does the 2-process model not label people as mentally ill?

Answer 8

Can be damaging as they are difficult to remove

Model is positive - looks at a phobia as an incorrect response this can be fixed

Question 9

What did King (1998) find after reviewing the case studies?

Answer 9

Found that children get phobias after a traumatic experience with a phobic object - support classical conditioning

Question 10

What are the weaknesses of the 2-process model?

Answer 10

People may have phobias without having a negative experience before

Doesn’t take into account the biological factors that can cause phobias

Many people who go through a traumatic experience don’t develop phobias after

Question 11

What are the behavioural treatments for phobias?

Answer 11

Systemic Desensitisation

Flooding

Question 12

Who developed systemic desensitisation?

Answer 12

Wolpe (1958)

Question 13

What is the main idea of Systemic Desensitisation?

Answer 13

Main idea is reciprocal inhibition - impossible to feel 2 opposite emotions at the same time (relaxed and afraid)

Question 14

What is the main aim of systemic desensitisation?

Answer 14

Counter-conditioning - patient learns to remain calm in the presence of their phobia

Question 15

What are the 3 stages of systemic desensitisation?

Answer 15

1. Make the anxiety hierarchy
2. Relaxation training (PMR)
3. Gradual exposure

Question 16

What is the anxiety hierarchy?

Answer 16

Hierarchy of fear created by a patient and doctor which includes situations involving the phobic object that are ranked from least to most fearful

Question 17

What is relaxation training?

Answer 17

When patients are taught deep muscle relaxation techniques

Question 18

What is a deep muscle relaxation technique?

Answer 18

Progressive muscular relaxation (PMR)

Question 19

What are the steps for PMR?

Answer 19

Contract muscles tightly and hold
Sit quietly and comfortably and relax them
Relax muscles from feet to head

Question 20

What is gradual exposure?

Answer 20

Patients introduced to their phobic object, working up the hierarchy as they feel comfortable

Question 21

What are the strengths of systemic desensitisation (case studies)?

Answer 21

Jones (1924) used this method to eradicate “Little Peter’s” fear of white rabbit

Klosko et al (1990) assessed therapies for panic disorder treatments and found SD was the most effective

Question 22

What are the weaknesses of Systemic Desensitisation?

Answer 22

Time consuming - training + gradual exposure

Can’t be used for generalised phobias

May not generalise outside clinical setting

Question 23

Why is systemic desensitisation time-consuming?

Answer 23

Person with phobia needs to be trained with relaxation techniques

Gradual exposure may take many sessions

Question 24

Why can’t systemic desensitisation be used for generalised phobias?

Answer 24

No obvious target behaviour - difficult to devise the hierarchy

Question 25

Why might systemic desensitisation not generalise to public setting?

Answer 25

Person won’t have the therapist supporting them

Question 26

What is flooding?

Answer 26

Immediate, direct exposure of phobic object to patient but patients learns relaxation techniques beforehand

Question 27

Why is flooding good?

Answer 27

Patient doesn’t have the option for avoidance behaviour - quickly learns harmlessness and EXTINCTION OCCURS

Question 28

What are some downsides to flooding?

Answer 28

Can cause psychological damage - fully informed consent is needed

Sessions are longer than SD sessions

Question 29

What is a strength to flooding?

Answer 29

Wolpe (1969) used this technique to remove a patient’s phobia

Fast and efficient - only need 1 session compared to SD which takes multiple

Question 30

What are the weaknesses of flooding?

Answer 30

Highly traumatic experience

Symptoms might return of symptom substitution might occur

Question 31

Why is it bad if flooding is a traumatic experience?

Answer 31

Many patients unwilling to continue the therapy to the end
Time and money might be wasted
Phobia might still be there
Makes it unsuitable for children

Question 32

What is symptom substitution?

Answer 32

Other abnormal behaviours replaces the removed ones

Question 33

What was Wolpe’s experiment with flooding (1969)?

Answer 33

Girl forced to drive in car for 4 hours until her hysteria was eradicated

Question 34

What are the behavioural characteristics of phobias?

Answer 34

Panic
Avoidance
Endurance (freeze)

Question 35

What are the emotional characteristics of phobias?

Answer 35

Fear
Anxiety

Question 36

What are cognitive characteristics of phobias?

Answer 36

Selective attention - only focusing on the phobic object

Irrational belief - having thought that don’t make logical sense